Fran Ballard's memories

You should know that some of my fondest Sorrento memories are about Bronson.   We connected there for a couple of summers after my father bought Sally Lightfoot, the Swedish Folkboat he bought from Lake Champlain. Somehow that boat became an object of Bronson’s attention, and that introduced me to his funny world of enthusiasm, intellect and tinkering.  Bronson was on board Sally Lightfoot during one of her first Sorrento regattas.  She moved so slowly that he spent parts of the race hiding in the cabin to avoid being seen on boat.  Bronson convinced us that the right thing to do was to scrub the bottom clean by tying the boat by her mast along the Wheatland dock gangway at high tide, and then standing her on her keel as the tide went out so that she was totally out of the water.  I have a grainy photo of this in an album that still makes me cringe....my dad's new purchase balanced on the rocks (and conveniently forgetting to tell him about it!).  But it all ended well and we started again with a clean bottom.  Our preferred activity thereafter was late night sails, often with Andrew Gazis.  Sensing that there was an evening wind (when there was not) Bronson would convince us to take a sail in the middle of the night.  With all cabin and running lights on and tea brewing on the stove Bronson would tweak sails and fittings, often guided by underlying mathematical and physics theories.  We set spinnakers trying to catch wind that, at best, was barely there.  I still have the best memories of these evening sails floating around the back bay laughing with Bronson and others.

I saw Bronson a couple of years ago when he was up in Sorrento for a visit.  It had been a long time since I had seen him, but it was great to see that he remained the light-hearted, interested and enthusiastic person I remembered.  I recall his trying to explain to me the product that we was working on.  It was way above my head, but he was way into it. It was pure Bronson.  

I will always remember Bronson as a warm, comfortable and interesting person to be around.  I'll miss knowing that he is there as a friend. But I also know that he lived a life full of interest, friends and laughter that will echo on in our lives for a long time.  

Fran